


a party, a date, and a kissing booth.

by Grey_Summers, pyroallerdyce



Series: february writing challenge 2020 [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, One Shot Collection, Prompt Fic, Short One Shot, Tumblr Prompt, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:13:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22604521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grey_Summers/pseuds/Grey_Summers, https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyroallerdyce/pseuds/pyroallerdyce
Summary: Ben opened his mouth to tell her that there was no girl, but Leia kept talking. ”The eleventh at seven-thirty. And if you show up alone, your grandmother and I will be coming over to meet this young lady ourselves.””Mama,” Ben tried again but he heard the click that indicated Leia had hung up.or:  Han and Leia are throwing a Valentine's party and Leia has ordered Ben to bring his girlfriend.  Trouble is, Ben doesn't have a girlfriend.  Rey comes over unexpectedly and Ben gets an idea.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: february writing challenge 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619248
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46
Collections: February Writing Challenge - 2020





	a party, a date, and a kissing booth.

**Author's Note:**

> hi awesome nerds! we have decided to embark on a February writing challenge of fourteen love stories for Valentine's Day. All of them will be Star Wars based, but the pairings will change and involve characters from all over the saga. We hope that you enjoy them, and if you like what you read here, please let us know via a comment or kudos or bookmark so that we know we're not writing into a void.
> 
> Day 7 - “So let me get this straight. You want to hire me to be your date to a Valentine’s Party?”  
> Prompt by unblockingwritersblock on Tumblr.

”So, the Valentine's party is actually happening?” Ben asked, biting back a groan. ”Don’t people want to celebrate Valentine's Day on their own?”

”It’s not on Valentine's Day itself, Benjamin,” Leia said firmly. ”And you are bringing a date to this.”

”Mama,” Ben started, but Leia cut him off. 

”I know there is a girl, sweetheart. It's time for your mother to meet her.” 

Ben opened his mouth to tell her that there was no girl, but Leia kept talking. ”The eleventh at seven-thirty. And if you show up alone, your grandmother and I will be coming over to meet this young lady ourselves.”

”Mama,” Ben tried again but he heard the click that indicated Leia had hung up.

Well, fuck.

Ben thought about what to do for a few minutes before realizing that he had no choice but to ask some random woman at a bar to go to this fucking Valentine's party with him. That was the last thing in the world that he wanted to do but he didn't feel like he had another choice. 

And then his doorbell rang. 

He walked to the door and opened it, and Rey came into view. She was more beautiful every time he saw her and he didn't know how that was possible. If there was anyone he knew that he'd want to take on a date anywhere, let alone his parents’ party, it was her. 

But she'd never go for him and he knew it. 

”Rey,” he said as he moved out of the way. ”This is a surprise.”

“Hey.” Rey smiled as she walked through the door. “Sorry. I was going to call on my way here, but my phone died and my charger is broken. I keep forgetting to replace it when I need it,” she rambled on. “Do you want to go to the beach? It’s going to rain later this week, and today is perfect weather for it.”

”Um, sure,” Ben said, running his hands over his face. ”Give me a few minutes. I'm not really ready for the beach.”

“Ben, are you okay?” Rey asked, seeing the look on his face. “If now isn’t a good time, we can always go later.”

”No, it's fine. It's just that my parents are having this fucking party and I...” Ben trailed off before saying the first thing that came to mind. ”Can I hire you to be my date at this party?”

“Oh.” Rey thought for a moment. “What type of party?”

Ben inwardly cringed when he realized what he’d said. ”It’s, um, a Valentine's Day party. It's not actually on Valentine's Day though.”

Rey didn’t know what to think. “So let me get this straight. You want to hire me to be your date to a Valentine’s Party?” It was one thing to be a date for a regular party, but a holiday party was a different story. “Why?”

Ben closed his eyes when he realized he was actually going to have to answer that. ”Mama is insistent that I bring a date to this party and it's either you agree to this or I go find some random woman in a bar,” was out of his mouth before he could stop it. ”And I’d really prefer this to the other option. I'll pay you whatever you want me to. And it’ll just be for the night. I'll tell Mama we decided we were better as friends or something afterward.”

“I’ll go with you,” Rey told him. She understood how desperate his situation was. If it were her, she hoped he would do the same for her. “You don’t have to pay me for it either.” She smiled at him. “We’ll have a good time,” she half promised. “It’ll be fun. Your mom has thrown nice parties before.” 

Ben took a couple of deep breaths. “Really? I mean, you're going to have to act like my girlfriend at this. Mama is convinced that I have one and she will embarrass the fuck out of me because of it once she sees it's you. It'll probably end up pretty awkward for you.”

Rey tried to hide her surprise. “It probably will be awkward, but I’ll get passed it quickly. I’m sure there will be alcohol and snacks.” She laughed. “I’ll be a good date.”

“You're really serious about this?” Ben asked. “Because I do mean it when I say that you're probably not going to enjoy this party. I know that you're one of my best friends, but I'm definitely not going to enjoy this party even with you there next to me. You do not know what my mother and grandmother are like when they meet a girlfriend of mine for the first time. It will be painful.”

“I’m sure. I don’t have any plans. It’ll definitely be an experience, but that doesn’t scare me. I’ll really go with you unless you would prefer someone else to go,” Rey said, offering him a way out. 

“No, no, I can't think of anyone better to go with,” Ben said, biting his tongue to keep from saying why. He was pretty sure that he'd been in love with Rey for at least the last three years. “If you're willing to go then I will gladly go with you. Thank you for going with me. If you still want to go to the beach, I'll go get ready.”

“You’re welcome, Ben,” Rey said smiling up at him. “Yes, I’d still like to go. Then you can fill me in on the details about your parents and your grandmother.”

“Then I'll go get changed and we can head out,” Ben said, turning around and heading towards his bedroom. 

Once he was inside, he leaned up against the door and took several deep breaths. “It's one party, Solo,” he whispered. “You can make it through pretending to be in love with Rey for one party.”

He thought for a moment that maybe this party was a chance to make his move, but he immediately dismissed that. He had enough to think about when it came to this party. He didn't need to add that on top of it.

Not that Rey would ever go for it because nerds like him didn't get girls like her anyway.

**********

The moment that they walked into his parents' house, Ben knew that bringing Rey had been a terrible mistake. His mother and grandmother were waiting in the entryway for them, and Ben barely said hello before Leia had Rey wrapped up in a hug. “Oh, Rey! This is wonderful. I'm so glad that you and my son have found happiness together.”

Ben cleared his throat and Padmé grabbed Leia around the elbow, pulling her away. “There's plenty of time for that later, Leia. For now, how about we let them get their coats off?”

Leia sighed. “Fine. But we are discussing how this friendship turned into more later!”

Ben watched his grandmother lead his mother from the entryway before groaning and turning to Rey. “I am so, so sorry for whatever it is that's going to happen tonight. I really am.”

“It’s okay,” Rey said nervously. She didn’t know why she felt so nervous and warm, but she knew she needed to get over it. She shrugged off her coat, revealing a light pink dress. 

Ben took her coat, and he hung their coats in the closet, leaving the hooks free for other guests. “Let’s just try to enjoy the night,” Rey whispered as she wrapped her arm around his and placed her hand on the inside of his elbow. 

Ben took a deep breath and led her into the house, noting the drinks set up on the bar in the kitchen and the food laid out on the dining room table. “Do you want anything to eat? Or maybe a drink? Lord knows I need one to get through this night.”

Rey noticed she was holding onto Ben’s arm tighter than intended and released him. “Yes, please. Food and a drink would be great.”

Ben told Rey to help herself to the food while he got them a drink, and when he returned with a glass of wine for her a few moments later, Rey had gathered various goodies onto a plate. “Are we only eating sweets tonight? Because I am not opposed to that.”

“Good.” Rey smiled. “I can’t refuse sugar cookies and chocolate. Everything looks so good.” She glanced at the food again, debating on grabbing a few more treats. “I already know I’m coming back for seconds.”

“It would not surprise me if Mama and Grandma have been baking all week specifically for this party,” Ben said as he grabbed a couple of cookies for himself. “When my parents throw a party, the two of them generally cook up a storm.”

He glanced around until he determined what direction to go in next and he smiled at Rey. “Shall we see what else my parents have going on around here?”

Rey nodded and Ben took her hand, walking towards the living room. He was trying desperately to keep himself from thinking about the fact that they were at this party together, that they were pretending that they were _together_ , and he was failing miserably at it. 

He had to stop this soon before he made a complete fool of himself.

When they came around the corner, Ben heard someone yell out and then he saw a flash, and he immediately decided that he hated his mother. “There's a photo booth, apparently.”

“Not a photo booth, darling,” came Leia's voice. “A kissing booth where photos are taken! Let's get you and Rey in there.”

Ben swallowed hard. “Not at the moment, okay? We just got here.”

“Oh, come on,” Leia said, but Padmé stepped in again.

“Leia, they've just gotten food. At least let them eat first.”

Ben decided he liked his grandmother more than his mother. “We'll come back to it,” he lied. “I promise.”

“Oh! That’s so much fun,” Rey said excitedly. She saw the disappointment on Leia’s face. “Come on, Ben. If we don’t do it now, then I’ll be a hot mess later. And I don’t want your mom to have that kind of photo of me at our first party together.” 

She set the plate of goodies and their wine on the round table before Ben could protest further. A kissing booth didn’t mean you had to kiss someone on the lips. She just hoped his mom would be satisfied they participated. “Look. There are even fun props.”

Ben just nodded and let Rey pick out props for them. He ended up with an oversized red top hat with a gigantic heart on it while Rey wrapped a pink feather boa around her neck and put on some heart-shaped sunglasses. Leia instructed them to stand on the tape that marked the right spot, and Ben nearly cringed when he heard her call out that it was time to kiss.

He pressed a kiss to Rey's cheek as the camera's flash went off, but before he could move, he heard Padmé call out. “That is not a proper kiss, Benjamin. Give her a proper kiss.”

Ben sucked in a deep breath and turned towards Rey. She had an interesting look in her eyes but Ben couldn't decipher it, so he plucked up his courage and brought his hand to curl around the back of her head, pulling her into a kiss. 

He'd never felt better in his life.

They broke apart after Ben saw the flash go off and all he could think about was how he needed to consume every ounce of alcohol in the house. “Happy, Mama?” he asked. 

He was going to kill his mother for ruining his friendship with Rey. He really was.

“Beyond happy!” Leia exclaimed. “Come get your photos and then head into the sunroom. Your father has some games set up in there.”

But Ben didn't move, still staring at Rey. “I'm sorry,” he whispered. “I'm so, so sorry.”

Rey couldn’t get rid of the silly smile on her lips. Ben’s kiss made her warm and tingly all over. It was amazing and something she never felt before. She suddenly saw him in a different light. “Don’t be.” 

She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, then she took his hand, guiding him to Leia. Rey took the two photos and thanked his mother for them. “Where’s the sunroom at?” she asked, but her eyes wouldn’t leave the photo of them kissing. 

“This way,” Ben said, swallowing hard as he picked up their wine and sweets. He motioned for Rey to head in the right direction, and as soon as they were out of the room and he knew his mother couldn't hear them anymore, he stopped and groaned loudly. “I am so sorry about that. I really am. I should have known that a kiss on the cheek wouldn't be enough for them. And I should have known that my mother would have set up something ridiculous like a kissing booth too. I am just so, so sorry.”

“I was thinking the same thing when I convinced you we should do the booth,” Rey admitted shyly, reaching for her wine glass and taking a sip. “But don’t apologize. We came here as a couple and that’s what couples do.” 

“I just know that you didn't want that no matter how much I did,” was out of Ben's mouth before he could stop it, and he immediately winced. “Fuck, I didn't mean to say that.”

Rey was silent as she thought about what he just said. “That’s not entirely true.” She was still smiling. She didn’t know what this meant between them. Ben was nice and charming when he wanted to be, and he was always there for her when she needed him. They had been friends for years, but she never thought of turning their friendship into something more. “I don’t know what I want, but I didn’t mind the kiss we shared.” She looked at him. “Would you kiss me again?”

Ben took a deep breath as he realized what Rey had said. He glanced around the hallway until he saw the side table, taking their food and wine and setting it down. He stared at Rey for a moment before caressing the side of her face and smiling. “You're being serious?”

Rey gazed into his eyes, and her hand touched his sleeve. “I am, but only if you want to.”

“I want to do it all the time,” Ben said as he curled his hand around the back of her neck. “Every single time I see you, all I can think about is how I want to kiss you. I've wanted to kiss you for years.”

“Ben,” Rey sighed breathlessly. She didn’t know what to say as she inched closer to him. “I want to kiss you now and always,” she said without a second thought and she blushed. “That kiss made me feel things and I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I want to explore this with you when we’re not pretending.”

Ben felt his breathing quicken at her words, and he leaned forward and captured her lips in a deep kiss before he could think about it any more. His free arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer, and he smiled into the kiss as Rey's arms wrapped around his neck. They kissed until they needed to break apart to breathe, and they smiled at each other as they tried to catch their breath.

And then Ben heard his mother's voice and bit back a groan.

“Oh, this is so wonderful,” Leia said as she approached him. “It really, really is.”

“Mama,” Ben said before he could think about it. “Can you leave us alone please?”

Leia watched them and realized that they couldn't tear their eyes away from each other. “Alright, but you need to come to play the games at some point.”

“We will, I promise.” Leia walked away and Ben gave Rey a soft smile. “That kiss was amazing.”

“It was,” Rey said, grinning up at him. Without a second thought, she leaned in and kissed him again. His arms around her made her feel warm and loved, and she was captivated by him. She pulled away, ending their short kiss. She was still breathless and weak in the knees. “We should probably go play some games before your mother comes back.” 

“You're probably right about that, but first,” Ben said, taking a deep breath. “Would you like to have dinner with me sometime next week? I'd like to see where this goes.”

“I’d love to have dinner with you next week and see where this goes.” Rey bit her lip. “If I forget to tell you later, thank you for inviting me to this party. I’m having a nice time tonight.” 

“I'm really glad that you came with me,” Ben said, reaching for their wine and food. “Shall we go play some games?”

Rey nodded and they walked towards the sunroom, Ben's mind on the fact that he had a date with Rey the following week. He couldn't have possibly imagined that this would be the result of getting Rey to save him from his mother's wrath by coming to the party with him. He had thought it would be awkward as fuck, but it wasn't.

It was the start of something and Ben couldn't wait to find out where it went.


End file.
